As microprocessors and other integrated circuits become denser and faster and rely on lower operating voltages, increased demands are placed on these circuits' power distribution systems. For example, the use of reduced voltages and increased currents can degrade the stability of the supply voltage for circuits like microprocessors. Designers have explored a variety of techniques to mitigate these effects, including the use of increased decoupling capacitance, sophisticated low-resistance packages, and direct-current-to-direct-current (DC-DC) converters. Many efficient DC-DC converters make use of zero-voltage switching (ZVS) and zero-current switching (ZCS) techniques, and rely on the ability to accurately time the switching characteristics of large power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs).